(NEW ORLEANS) — Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes opened up on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl defeat and Kelce’s future after falling to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 on Sunday night.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. You don’t lose like that without everything going bad,” Kelce said, speaking to reporters after game.
“Couldn’t get it going offensively. I mean they just got after us on all three phases — and then on top of that, turnovers, penalties,” the Chiefs tight end explained.
He added that in his eyes, the most surprising element of the game was “that we haven’t played that bad all year.”
Kelce highlighted a bright spot for the Chiefs, noting their late game push. “This team is going to fight ’till the end forever, and you saw that, even with the score late, we’re always going to fight,” he said.
The three-time Super Bowl champion said Chiefs coach Andy Reid delivered a teaching moment to the team after the game. He said Reid’s message was, “This one’s gonna hurt. Let it hurt, and figure out how to get better because of it.”
Mahomes talks Kelce’s potential retirement, Super Bowl loss
Star quarterback Mahomes, meanwhile, discussed Kelce’s future while speaking with reporters after the game.
When asked if he would begin to encourage Kelce to come back to the Chiefs next year for his 13th NFL season, Mahomes said he would be patient with his teammate.
“I’ll let Travis make that decision on his own, man,” Mahomes said. “He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy not only for me to work with, but for people to watch.”
He continued, “He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. He always makes plays in the biggest moments.”
Mahomes said the decision will come down to whether his teammate still wants to put in the hard work to get through another NFL season.
“It’s if he wants to put in that grind, cause it’s a grind to go out there and play 20 games.”
Mahomes added that no matter Kelce’s decision, he believes his teammate’s legacy is secure as a Hall of Fame player.
“He knows, he’ll come back here with welcome arms. We love that guy not only for the football player, but the person that he is every single day,” he said.
Kelce speculated on his own future at a press conference last week in New Orleans.
“Where will I be in three years? Oh man, I don’t know. Hopefully still playing football. I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me. But, we’ll see what happens,” he said, adding that he’s explored other career options in the offseasons because “football only lasts for so long.”
In his postgame interview, Mahomes called losing a Super Bowl “the worst feeling in the world” and said the feeling “will stick with you the rest of your career.”
He added that he will use the loss as motivation moving forward.
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Philadelphia Eagles are your Super Bowl 59 champions.
The Eagles beat last year’s champs the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, Sunday night in a matchup at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, ending the Chiefs’ quest to become the first team to three-peat in a Super Bowl.
The Eagles took an early and commanding lead with a first quarter touchdown from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was named Super Bowl MVP later in the night.
A second quarter interception taken for a touchdown by Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean extended Philadelphia’s lead, which never relented. Touchdowns from A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith helped secure the Super Bowl win.
The Chiefs didn’t get on the board until the third quarter, when Xavier Worthy scored a touchdown. Worthy went on to score a second touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the team was unable to erase the deficit.
The Eagles and the Chiefs previously faced off at the Super Bowl in 2022; that time, the Chiefs were the winners.
British racing driver Jamie Chadwick may not yet be a household name. That could all change this June when the 26-year-old British racing driver heads to France to make her debut in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Her impressive resume — three consecutive titles in the W Series and stints in Indy NXT, British Formula 3 and Extreme E — has some calling her the most “decorated” female driver in the U.K.
Early on, the 26-year-old Chadwick said she tried desperately to fit in with the male drivers, purposely not drawing attention to herself or her talents.
“My whole career, I was just one of the boys,” she told ABC News last month. “I laughed about their terrible jokes about women. It’s very easy for females not to make noise … we have this ‘just grateful to be here’ mentality.”
She is no longer staying silent.
Chadwick, a Rolex Testimonee brand ambassador who served as the grand marshal of this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race, said she understands the importance of having a female role model in the sport. She was inspired by her own experience with Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy and former Scottish racing driver.
“I wrote her an email in 2013 and she replied back with advice,” Chadwick said, adding that she has developed a “good relationship” with Wolff.
According to Chadwick, the F1 Academy effect has been “significant.” The academy, which started in 2023, helps to develop and prepare “young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition” and “show them that there’s a place for them in our sport.”
Now, young girls are looking to Chadwick for encouragement. “I try to support and give guidance” to these future drivers, she said.
Moreover, Chadwick argued female drivers are increasingly in demand by team owners: “Everyone is secretly trying to find the next female superstar.”
Chadwick spoke about her unexpected rise in motorsports, how she prepares mentally for a race and training with her Le Mans teammates Logan Sargeant and Mathys Jaubert.
The following interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: Who was a role model for you in the beginning of your career?
A: I didn’t have too many role models when I started because there weren’t many [female drivers]. I fell into this sport by accident. The reason I got involved was because of my older brother and I think he was a role model — I just followed everything he did. We raced against each other when we were younger and were super competitive. It was not the healthiest of sibling rivalries, I am sure.
It wasn’t until a bit later that I realized the importance of role models in my career.
Q: Are you actively trying to be a role model for young girls who are interested in motorsports?
A: I try to do the best I can. I’ve benefited so much from initiatives and different doors opening for women in the sport. I feel like I’ve got a great opportunity now to really make sure the next generation has similar opportunities, if not better. It’s important for me to encourage as many young girls as possible because I think it’s a sport that should be more open to women and we can really do a lot to reduce that diversity gap.
Q: Did you face any naysayers early on who said you can’t have a career in motorsports because you’re a woman?
A: I definitely think there were naysayers … there were comments like, “Oh, she’s good for a girl.” When are we going to get a point where people stop saying that?
Not everyone has the same support that I did and that’s why I want to make sure the next generation has equal opportunities.
Q: There’s lots of talk about a possible female driver in F1. How involved are you in the F1 Academy?
I mentor Williams Development driver Lia Block and I love what the team is doing. Williams is putting a lot of visibility on women in the sport. There’s so much pressure to get a female driver into F1 … but it’s also not necessarily what we’re trying to achieve. We’re trying to achieve increased participation in general for women. The first step is just increasing participation and then down the line we can look at a female F1 driver.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
A: I obviously want to be racing at the highest level I can. I am fortunate to be competing in Le Mans for the first time this year [in the LMP2 category], which is very exciting. I just want to grow and be the best racing driver I can be and continue to help develop the future of the sport.
Q: Why endurance racing?
A: I was competing in Indy NXT and I was very keen to go to IndyCar but the opportunities didn’t quite come about in the end. So my feet have sort of fallen into endurance racing. But it’s a great place to be in the sport. It’s a little bit more friendly for female drivers. IndyCar would have been really tough physically. Endurance racing is a good opportunity for me to establish myself.
Q: What’s your training regime for Le Mans?
A: It’s quite important to be light — the less you are, the better. So losing a little bit of weight is a factor. Plus making sure I am strong, fit and can stay in the car for three hours at a time. I am really looking forward to the challenge.
There’s no one better to ask than Tom [Kristensen] about Le Mans. I am lucky to have access to him. [Kristensen is a nine-time Le Mans winner and fellow Rolex Testimonee.]
Q: What has Tom said about Le Mans?
A: The main thing he said was to get in as many laps as you can in practice. Make sure your eyes are good for the night, which is a good bit of advice. And to enjoy it and make the most of it. He’s Mr. Le Mans and I am sure to pick his brain more. Just to win it once would be a dream.
Q: How do you stay focused for a 24-hour race?
A: Good question. Adrenaline is a big thing. You’re so focused on what’s coming at you — you’re dialed in. When it’s the middle of the night and you’re tired … you just have to focus and try not to make a mistake. It’s not easy.
Q: Are you frequently in touch with your Le Mans teammates?
A: My co-drivers are former Williams driver Logan Sargeant and Mathys Jaubert, who is 18. He’s very young but an exciting French talent. We’re all rookies, which will be pretty tough. We’ve never had teammates before so we’re getting used to that dynamic.
Q: You were the grand marshal at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. How did your partnership with Rolex begin?
A: Partnering with a brand like Rolex is not something I had expected in my career. Rolex has a huge history in motorsport. In 2021, I was competing in the W Series and won my second title and on the back of that we started some conversations. Rolex is really keen to bring in young talent but also young female talent. I jumped at every single opportunity I had to work with them. We’re now going into our fourth year together and it’s an incredible partnership to have. It’s giving women drivers more opportunity and awareness.
(CINCINNATI) — Four men charged with burglarizing the Ohio home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow last year posed for pictures with some of the $300,000 worth of designer luggage, glasses, wrist watches and jewelry stolen from the residence, according to a newly unsealed federal criminal complaint.
An image taken from the cellphone of one of the suspects shows multiple items — including wristwatches, jewelry and $10,000 in cash — stolen from Burrow’s home in Anderson Township in December 2024, according to the complaint.
The photos were taken on Dec. 10, 2024, a day after Burrow’s home in Anderson Township was broken into, according to the complaint.
An analysis of the suspect’s phone “revealed multiple photographs that had been taken of items believed to be stolen from J.B.’s residence,” according to the complaint.
Many of these photographs were deleted during a Jan. 10 traffic stop involving the suspects, according to the federal complaint.
Authorities had tracked a cellphone number and license plate believed to be tied to the burglary to a hotel in Fairborn, Ohio, and surveilled the rented vehicle before pulling it over for a traffic violation, according to the complaint.
Two Husky automatic center punch tools — which authorities said are used to break glass and enter houses — along with an old LSU shirt and Bengals hat believed to have been stolen from Burrow’s home were also found in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
The four Chilean nationals showed fake identification but were later confirmed to be Alexander Chavez, Bastian Morales, Jordan Sanchez and Sergio Cabello, according to the complaint.
They were arrested and have been charged with interstate transport of stolen goods and falsification of records in a federal investigation.
Court records do not list any attorney information for the suspects.
Burrow was not home at the time of the burglary, which happened while he was playing in a Monday Night Football game in Dallas.
Burrow’s friend, Olivia Ponton, arrived at the residence around 8 p.m. “and noticed that the living room and master bedroom looked unusually messy. She then observed that a master bedroom window on the back side of the residence had been broken,” the complaint said.
Burrow had security personnel at the home but the men avoided them by entering through the woods, according to the complaint.
The FBI used surveillance images, cellphone tracking and other technology to identify the four Chilean nationals who were either in the country illegally or had overstayed their permissions, the complaint said.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Senators 1, Lightning 5 Golden Knights 3, Devils 1 Capitals 4, Flyers 3 Utah Hockey Club 3, Blue Jackets 2 Hurricanes 1, Wild 2 Panthers 3, Blues 2 Avalanche 4, Flames 2 Maple Leafs 3, Kraken 1 Canucks 2, Sharks 1
(LOS ANGELES) — Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison on Thursday on charges related to stealing nearly $17 million from the Dodgers player. The sentence was handed down nearly a year after the gambling controversy first surfaced.
Mizuhara, 40, admitted to fraudulently transferring the money from Ohtani’s account for more than two years to pay his gambling debts, including impersonating the athlete on two dozen occasions in calls to the bank, according to a plea agreement in the case.
The 57-month sentence was awarded for one count of bank fraud. On a second count, for subscribing to a false tax return, he was given 36 months — to be served concurrently with the 57 months.
Prosecutors called the scheme “deep” and “extensive” fraud and that Ohtani was “harmed substantially” by Mizuhara’s actions.
Mizuhara is scheduled to surrender on March 24.
He was additionally sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to pay more than $18 million in restitution — including nearly $17 million to Ohtani, more than $1 million to the IRS and court fines.
Mizuhara, a permanent resident of the U.S., also faces a risk of deportation back to his native Japan upon completion of the federal sentence, prosecutors said.
Joseph McNally, the acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said outside the courthouse following the hearing that the sentence reflects the “seriousness of the offense and sends a strong message.”
He also emphasized the harm done to Ohtani, who submitted a victim impact statement to the court that has been sealed.
“In this case, he had money stolen from him. He was taken advantage of. He was preyed on by Mr. Mizuhara,” McNally said. “Mr. Mizuhara lied, he cheated and he stole. His behavior was shameless.”
Mizuhara asks judge for mercy
In a three-page letter to Judge John Holcomb filed ahead of Thursday afternoon’s hearing in Santa Ana, California, Mizuhara asked for a “merciful and not punitive” sentence and set out to explain why he committed the fraud.
He described mounting financial stresses that he said led him to use an online sports betting website run by Mathew Bowyer starting in 2021. He said that due to his “ignorance to the gambling industry,” he did not realize it was an illegal gambling business until early 2024.
“Being desperate for money at the time, I stupidly thought this might be an opportunity to help myself out financially and started to use his website for sports betting. And before I knew it, the results were the complete opposite,” Mizuhara wrote. “My gambling debt had grown so much that I could not find any way to pay it but to use Shohei’s money … I felt terribly guilty about putting my hands on his money but this was the only solution I could think of at the time.”
Mizuhara also said that the offseason was “physically and mentally” harder while detailing some of his errands for Ohtani, such as driving him to trainings, taking his dog to the vet and fixing his bicycle — saying he had “almost no true days off.”
“I felt like I was getting severely underpaid but I was afraid to speak up for myself as I was on a one year contract every year and I didn’t want to upset them and end up getting fired,” he wrote.
Mizuhara said he hopes to use his experience to help others dealing with gambling problems. He also outlined the impact a prison sentence would have on his wife.
“I understand that I have made a decision that will impact my entire life and I am not making excuses for what I have done. I am not trying to justify my actions in any way. I am asking that you will look at me as a man and believe change can happen,” he said. “I don’t believe an apology will fix my wrong. I am prepared [to] accept my consequences. I am asking for a little mercy from the court concerning my sentence you will hand down.”
He lastly said he is “truly sorry” for violating Ohtani’s trust in him.
Defense, government make case for sentence
Mizuhara pleaded guilty last year to one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum of 30 years in prison, and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, which carries up to three years in prison. A sentence of 48 months was recommended by the probation officer.
Mizuhara’s attorney asked the judge to impose an 18-month sentence, arguing in a memorandum that the interpreter was devoted to his work for Ohtani but suffers from a “longstanding gambling addiction, which was uniquely exacerbated by his grueling work and exposure to high-stakes bookmakers in the world of professional athletes.”
Mizuhara “made a terrible mistake as a result of his serious gambling addiction, an anomaly in an otherwise law-abiding life in which he was dedicated to his career as an interpreter for Mr. Ohtani and other baseball players,” his attorney, Michael Freedman, wrote.
The defense attorney also said Mizuhara’s reputation here and in Japan has been “irretrievably stained” and that he “will continue to suffer as a result of harm to his reputation and career in the global press and through certain deportation.”
Prosecutors, meanwhile, asked the court to impose a prison sentence of 57 months while disputing what they called “unsupported claims” by the defense on the extent of Mizuhara’s gambling problem and the financial problems he had said led him to Bowyer’s illegal sports betting business.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell wrote in a response to the defense’s sentencing filings that the government could find no proof of a long-standing gambling addiction, and that Mizuhara did not have “such a ‘tremendous debt’ that it forced him to steal millions of dollars from Mr. Ohtani, as he claims.”
Mitchell also questioned whether Mizuhara is “truly remorseful or whether they are just sorry they were caught” and highlighted portions of Mizuhara’s letter to the judge, in which he detailed his offseason duties for Ohtani.
“The government does not question defendant’s work ethic, but only his characterization of the work and his true intention,” Mitchell wrote. “Instead of using this opportunity to apologize and show true remorse, he has used it, in a public filing, to complain about his work and Mr. Ohtani.”
In addition to the prison sentence, the government asked for three years of supervised release, restitution of $16,975,010 to Ohtani and $1,149,400 to the IRS.
Sentencing comes nearly year after firing Mizuhara worked with the Angels as Ohtani’s interpreter and then in the same capacity with the Dodgers, until the team fired him nearly a year ago, in March 2024, after the gambling controversy surfaced.
Ohtani addressed the scandal at the time during a press briefing, saying in a prepared statement through an interpreter, “I am very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this.”
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to the federal charges in June 2024.
According to the plea agreement, from November 2021 to March 2024, Mizuhara transferred nearly $17 million from the account to associates of the bookmaker in more than 40 wires without Ohtani’s permission.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers prior to last year, the richest deal in sports history.
Bowyer pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for running an illegal gambling business that took unlawful sports bets from hundreds of customers, including Mizuhara, the Department of Justice said. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Mizuhara also admitted in the plea agreement to falsely claiming that his total taxable income for 2022 was $136,865 when, in fact, he failed to report an additional $4.1 million in income.
“The source of the unreported income was from his scheme to defraud the bank,” the DOJ said, noting that he owes approximately $1,149,400 in additional taxes for the tax year 2022, plus additional interest and penalties.
His sentencing has been postponed several times after the defense asked for more time to prepare and for a forensic psychologist to complete a report about Mizuhara’s gambling.
ABC News’ Vanessa Navarrete contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Tiger Woods is mourning the death of his mother, Kultida Woods, and remembering her as “a force of nature all her own.”
The pro golfer took to social media on Tuesday to announce she had died earlier in the day and shared a heartfelt tribute in her honor.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” he began.
“My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh.”
“She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible,” he continued. “She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom.”
Kultida Woods was present when her son — her only child with husband Earl Woods, who died in 2006 — was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022 alongside her grandchildren.
Tiger Woods shares his two children, daughter Sam Woods and son Charlie Woods, with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren.
